People kept telling me how good the Outlander series was, and I kept putting off reading them because they're time travel romances. Time travel romancPeople kept telling me how good the Outlander series was, and I kept putting off reading them because they're time travel romances. Time travel romances are always completely cheesy aren't they?

Well, I finally broke down and read "Outlander," and quickly discovered it's one of the most original novels out there. I was happy to see that Barnes & Noble recently moved them out of the "romance" section because they are way more involved than your typical girl-meets-boy.

Claire, the World War II combat nurse who wanders through an ancient stone circle in the Highlands of Scotland and finds herself suddenly in the 18th Century, is a refreshing change from the princess-type heroine. Jamie Fraser, the Scot who winds up being the love of her life, is at times both a sweet innocent and a dangerous and passionate warrior. In the later novels I've come to love their daughter and son-in-law as well.

Be forewarned: these books are gargantuan pieces of historical fiction mixed with fantasy, some very steamy erotic stuff and the occasional gruesome torture scene. They are also addicting. I stayed up until 3:30 one night finishing "Outlander." The next day, I headed back to the bookstore to get the rest of the series....more

Originally, I had given this book 5 stars, but, after a reread, I decided to knock it down a mark. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good book, but it'Originally, I had given this book 5 stars, but, after a reread, I decided to knock it down a mark. Don't get me wrong, it's still a good book, but it's probably my least favorite in the Outlander series so far. It's just one bad thing after another happening to these characters that I've learned to love — Yet, at the same time, not a lot happens to move the story forward as a whole.

It's a necessary read for an Outlander fan, but, as I'm in the middle of reading the next book in the series for the first time, it's feeling more and more like this one was filler to go between The Fiery Cross and An Echo in the Bone....more

After several thousand pages of build-up, the Revolutionary War is finally here — and with it, the excitement of the early Outlander novels returns. NAfter several thousand pages of build-up, the Revolutionary War is finally here — and with it, the excitement of the early Outlander novels returns. No offense to the residents of Fraser's Ridge, but it's a lot more fun to see Jamie and Claire interacting with Benedict Arnold than Hiram Crombie. They may be older and wiser than they were back in the Dragonfly in Amber and Voyager days, but this book has more in common with those two novels than it does with the last few that preceded it. I can't help but feel that the Frasers are back in their element; a life of quiet domesticity may just not be their thing.

What else can I say about Echo? Several characters and storylines from the early books (and even the Lord John series) return, but several new, very likeable characters are introduced as well. There were enough twists, turns, and mysteries to keep me glued to the pages... and I hope it won't take forever for the next Outlander book to come out because quite a few surprises happen late in this one and don't get resolved before the end....more